How to Get Yourself Out of a Rut

Life has its ups and downs, but sometimes, it feels like things have been all going downhill with no end in sight. A rut might not mean you’re depressed. It can be a dull gray-zone where every day feels exactly like the one that came before. There’s no excitement, nothing to look forward to and a general sense of boredom that you can’t shake. Everyone feels stuck sometimes, and it’s okay to not know what to do to change the feeling. Rather than trying to completely transform your life overnight, it’s most helpful to follow some simple changes.

Figure Out What’s Really Bothering You

Do you feel stuck in your job, in your relationship or life in general? It’s important to identify specific pain points in your life so you can build an action plan. After all, how can you fix a problem you can’t define? Being in a rut might leave you feeling unfulfilled, yearning for an inexplicable more that you can’t motivate yourself to pursue. A part of valuable growth is realizing that there will be discomfort in the process. Change takes time, patience and perseverance. You have to be willing to sit with some uncomfortable truths before you can get to a better place.

Start With Small Changes

While it may seem like your life needs a major shake-up to feel exciting again, that likely isn’t the case. If you go skydiving once, will that have an impact on your daily routine? Real excitement and a genuine joie de vivre stems from small things that make life worthwhile. Focus on little things that add a sense of novelty. You may start taking fitness classes or pick up a new hobby.

A simple way to add more surprise to your life is signing up for a subscription box. Subscription snack boxes give you new and popular options to try each month, so there’s always something to look forward to. You may also just decide to read more books, start listening to random playlists and discover new interests. Unlike when we’re children and everything is fascinating because its new, adults have to work a little harder to bring excitement into their daily existence.

Stop Defaulting to Reliable Habits

The same things you turn to for distraction could be perpetuating your problem. Instead of running home after work to watch TV or play video games, call up a friend and ask them out to dinner. If they are busy, go out anyway and treat yourself. Rather than ordering from the same restaurant, try something new instead.

If you do things that numb you to your negative mindset, look for a way to achieve the opposite. As simple as it seems, the advice to get out and do something actually works wonders. Consider using productivity apps to encourage you to try new things. These apps are traditionally geared towards accomplishing daily chore-like tasks, but you can also use them to be sure that you are doing something new each day. Instead of wash bath linens enter read 10 pages of a new book to your apps to do list and check off the boxes in a fun way as opposed to a must-do way.

Sign Up to Be a Volunteer

One of the biggest reasons being stuck is so uncomfortable is that it narrows our perspective. Instead of seeing the world as a rich, exciting place filled with interesting people and stories, everything feels the same. When your sight becomes so limited that you can only think of how boring your own life is, it’s time to reach out and help someone else. Look up local volunteer opportunities; you’ll get to meet new people while working toward a higher purpose.

Justin Weinger

A married father of three, Justin Weinger works in private equity as a Corporate Finance Manager, he is also an avid blogger and personal finance enthusiast with a strong history of working in the automotive and publishing industry.